Your cryptocurrency transaction history on public blockchains is permanent and cannot be deleted by Coinbase or anyone else, even if you request account deletion.
This new provision establishes a legal exemption to user deletion rights based on blockchain immutability, potentially undermining GDPR 'right to be forgotten' protections.
View full change record →Cryptocurrency transactions associated with your wallet addresses are permanently recorded on public blockchains and are outside Coinbase's ability to delete, meaning your financial activity may be permanently traceable and publicly accessible regardless of account closure.
Cross-platform context
See how other platforms handle Blockchain Transaction Immutability — Limits on Erasure and similar clauses.
Compare across platforms →This means your financial transaction history linked to your wallet addresses may remain permanently visible on public blockchains, potentially allowing anyone to trace your crypto activity even after you close your Coinbase account.
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: GDPR Article 17 (right to erasure/'right to be forgotten') requires controllers to erase personal data without undue delay upon request; blockchain immutability creates a structural conflict with this right where transaction data constitutes personal data under GDPR Art. 4(1). CCPA §1798.105 grants consumers the right to request deletion of personal information, subject to exemptions including legal obligations. EU blockchain working group guidance acknowledges the tension but has not resolved it definitively. The European Data Protection Board has noted that pseudonymous blockchain data may still constitute personal data where re-identification is possible via wallet address linkage.
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